Hin Ta Hin Yai

Hin Ta and Hin Yai - grandfather and grandmother rocks - are two granite formations on the rocky shore at the southern end of Lamai beach on Ko Samui, weathered by the sea into shapes that resemble male and female genitalia closely enough that nobody has to have it pointed out. The local story attached to them is a folk tale: an elderly couple, Ta Kreng and Yai Riem, sailing to arrange a marriage for their son, were drowned in a storm and washed ashore here, turning to rock so their intentions would be understood. Whether that predates the rocks becoming a tourist stop is unclear. The site is free but the approach runs through a substantial market of stalls selling food, coconut candy and souvenirs, which is now most of what is there. The rocks are on a wave-washed platform, slippery, with the sea running over it, and people slip on them.

What you actually see

• The two formations - granite weathered into unmistakable shapes.
• The folk tale - the drowned couple explanation attached to them.
• The market approach - stalls lining the path from the road.
• The rock platform - wave-washed shoreline below the viewing area.

When to go

December to April for Samui's driest weather. Early morning avoids the tour groups and the market crowd. Half an hour covers it.

Honest expectations

A ten-minute stop reached through a long corridor of souvenir stalls. The rock platform is slippery with waves washing across it. Crowded with tour groups through the day. It is exactly what the photographs show and nothing more.

Nearby

Lamai beach is north; Na Muang waterfalls are inland.